The Home That Wouldn’t Sell: Proof Positive You Should Declutter Before Selling

There are some homes in this world that are just hard cases for a real estate agent to sell. Sometimes the house is too small, or in need of repairs, or perhaps in an undesirable neighborhood. On rare occasion, though, you get a home that’s dreamy in almost every way, and yet the owners have somehow shot themselves in the foot.

Fifty-six-year-old Gillian Walsh and her second husband David have one such home, which is located on a leafy street in Crosby, on the outskirts of Liverpool.

Aside from being competitively priced, their home meets all of the normally desired specs for a potential buyer. So, why won’t this six bedroom home sell after 13 months and a $75,000 price cut?

It’s spacey, looks gorgeous, and is in a wonderful neighborhood. What gives?

But when the doorbell rings “Oh my darling Clementine”, let’s just say it’s a sign of what’s to come.

Everyone has their way of building a comfortable nest. However, this house seems to have only attracted “mocking birds” across the internet.

One online commenter said that simply to look at the pictures ‘gives me a panic attack’. On Facebook, ‘Call in the House Doctor!’ was one de-cluttering suggestion; another speculated over whether the three dogs in front of the fireplace were stuffed.

Apparently, this is what 30 years of living and raising eight children looks like for this couple.

At least the ceilings are bare. Shhhhh! Don’t tell them!

I hope their home isn’t in a tornado or earthquake zone. But if it is, with all those pillows, this may be the only “safe” room in the house.

If they have a pet, I wonder how often it gets lost in the yard. Seriously though, I hope they do attract a buyer that either loves clutter as much as they do, or has x-ray vision. It’d be great to see everyone turn out happy in this endeavour.

This story originally appeared on The Daily Mail in November, 2013. Whether the home sold or not, one thing is clear: if you’re still selling your home, make sure to clear the clutter!